Rotherham United have announced via club media that they have appointed Leam Richardson as their new head coach on a two-and-a-half year deal.
Richardson comes into the job with the club currently bottom of the Championship, and eight points off of safety. It has been an incredibly difficult season for the Millers who seemingly need a miracle in order to stay up this season.
The club surpassed expectations under former manager Matt Taylor, who led the side to survival last season but after a poor start to the season, the former Exeter City and Charlton defender was relived of his duties in early November. Taylor was quick to find another job however and was named the new manager of Bristol Rovers earlier in the month.
Although Rotherham may have taken longer to act, they have now found their man, in the form of Leam Richardson. The 44-year-old had been without a job since November last year having been sacked by Wigan following a poor run of form in the Championship that season.
Richardson is most well known for steering the Latics to the League One title the season prior, and Rotherham may potentially be looking at the long-term picture in regards to the appointment.
It is somewhat bizarre thar Richardson has been without a job for such a long period of time given his credentials, but he has now found his next challenge. It will be an incredible feat if he is able to keep the Millers up but given both their wage bill and current performances compared to the rest of the league, it seems highly unlikely.
His first assignment is away to last season’s League One Champions, Plymouth Argyle, a team who sit just six places ahead of them. Following that, Richardson will then welcome table toppers Leicester City to the AESSEAL New York Stadium in what will be a very tricky first home fixture for the new man.
With a congested fixture schedule over the Christmas period, the club have decided that now is the time to bring in a manager to navigate through those matches. Having considered “a number of high-calibre candidates”, through a “long and meticulous interview process” the club decided on Richardson due to his vision for the project aligning very closely with that of the club.
Richardson will be looking to hit the ground running, and doesn’t have the hardest of teams to face first, in the shape of an out of form Plymouth Argyle. A win in that game will certainly get the fans on his side quickly.
Writer’s View
Rotherham have always punched above their weight by being in the Championship and it comes as no surprise to see them at the bottom of the table. The appointment of Richardson is a shrewd one and although they may struggle this season, it seems as if they are looking to the future based on his previous track record.
It will be interesting to see what his plans are for the January window, but given their budget, it will be very hard to compete with other Championship sides.
Senior Editor
